Sunday, March 8, 2009

Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon: Plymouth, Minnesota/Videocast 003

Video Description for people following on iTunes: Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon. Photo slideshow from swim portion.

Location: Plymouth, Minnesota

Duration: 1 minutes, 06 seconds

Date Last Updated: Sun 08 Mar 2009 02:17:47 PM CDT

File Size: 3.04 MB

On March 8, I kicked off my official triathlon season. You might wonder how the heck that would be possible in the Tundra of Minnesota with snow still on the ground and more on the way.

My fitness club, Lifetime Fitness, located in Plymouth hosted a indoor triathlon. It was great. I treated it as a C-event meaning I was just using it as a builder & speed workout as I get into shape for the upcoming season. Here's a little more on how this event was run.

Concept: The Indoor Triathlon is based on time (60 minutes of racing for each competitor) unlike an outdoor triathlon based on distance. Participants are allowed times for safe transition between race legs. Transitions don’t count toward the 60 minutes of racing time.

10-minute swim in lap pool

10-minute transition (swim to bike)

30-minute bike in cycle fitness studio

5-minute transition (bike to run)

20-minute treadmill run

Scoring: The Indoor Triathlon is based on time rather than distance - meaning you receive points for going further in a specific period of time, not going faster over a fixed distance. Participants are graded on a curve. The furthest distance in each category gets the most points (actual number is based on total participants), the shortest receives 1 point, and your "score" for the discipline is based on the points you achieve. All three disciplines count equally toward your final score. Volunteers will record the distances of each participant in each event and tabulate the final score.

Neat, huh?

The closer the event came, I started to make myself crazy. I had just lost four days of training due to a business trip. I had worked hard on my swim all winter. Would it show in the pool this early in the season? I've been experimenting with new nutritional supplements. How would I hold up? I decided that even though my right hamstring had been coming along nicely from the tear experienced on February 1, it might be best to wear the neoprene sleeve on the ham. If nothing else, to help me psychologically.

So, ultimately I slept poorly.

I got out of bed (actually the couch) more than three hours prior to the event. I ate a Hammer Energy bar(Cashew Coconut Chocolate Chip) and had a glass of Perpetuem (Caffe Latte) and then turned on the coffee maker. During this time I checked my gear which I had packed the night before and started to do some easy stretches.

While having my cup of Joe, I went through each element of the race in my mind to review my goals and to think about the event. I find this helps calm me so that when I actually get to the event everything goes like clockwork.

I arrived at the club about 45-minutes before my wave was set to take off and checked in. My usual nervous pee wasn't too bad today so I only visited the urinal four times! What until you are in your late forties like me!

I was in Wave Seven so I had time to watch the swim process with Wave Six as far as how they would start and end. Simple whistle to start, voice-command to give a one-minute warning, and whistle to signal the ten minutes are up.

Note - Complying with Lifetime policies, no video is allowed to be taken inside the facility. My wife was able to take some photos of the swim event, so that is the only media you will see here.

Goal - This was a tough goal to set. A pre-calibrated flywheel would rack up mileage depending on cadence. Based off last year's results where the upper Spin Dogs of War had mustered over 17-miles in thirty minutes, I set my goal for 16-miles. After all, I'm more of a power-watts kind of cyclist than someone who simply spins fast.

Result - 16 miles. I simply spun hard for 25 minutes and then sort of shut it down and coasted in order to save my legs for the run. It was sort of a frustrating portion for me as all I wanted to do was kick it into the baby cog and start churning some power. Instead, I was simply spinning against very little tension.

Masters placing - 2nd

Overall placing - 9th

The Run

Goal - This was simply going to be a 'Katy Bar the Door' type of effort. My goal was north of three miles in 20-minutes.

Result - 3.02 miles. I went out fast setting the treadmill at 9.2. This was equal to running 6:30ish a mile. I held this pace for twelve minutes and then my left Achilles started to ache a bit. Yeah, I know. I just healed the right Achilles and now the left has been acting up a bit...but I'm getting treatment and I'll be OK. I backed off a bit for the next seven minutes and then picked it up again in the last sixty seconds. I made my goal easily even after essentially shutting 'er down a little over midway through.

Masters placing - 1st

Overall placing - 5th

Overall

Goal - I simply wanted to hit my individual goals. There was no 'win at any cost' objective here with this C-race. I was extremely satisfied about my swim which will give me confidence going into the outdoor triathlon season. I'm sure my buddies at the Tri-Talk Forums will give me grief for basically shutting it down and coasting it in at the end of the bike and run but that's what friends are for!

Congrats to David Don Schmeichel who finished second overall at the Coon Rapids event. David Don is the oldest son (here I thought it was younger son David!) of Russ Schmeichel, my high school Cross Country/Track & Field coach that I mentioned in the 24-Hour Relay blog entry.

David's Don's Numbers

Swim - 30 lengths

Bike - 17.7 mi

Run - 2.91 mi

And then David Don came back and also did Plymouth where he took second overall again!

Swim - 33.5 lengths

Bike - 18 mi

Run - 2.9 mi

I'll have to give his dad grief for letting a 48-year old beat his youngin' on the run!

Jon Borscheid, of Borsch In Training, completed his first triathlon at the Eagan location. Congrats to Jon!

7 comments:

Nice job with the early season race. You are right about the spin bikes. I did on of these last year at the Lifetime I go to and it was very uncomfortable spinning that high of a cadence. I was always looking of that bigger gear.

LOL Jon! Man it being your first I would protest! Oh, the horro stories I could share about races directors-volunteers-etc. They do try though. You bet, would love to meet up with you guys some time. My calendar for '09 is on the right nav bar. Good job again!

Ahhhhh, the infamous Donnie. Here I was sure it had been David! Awesome swim, very nice indeed. I'll be doing the Irish 5K around Lake Harriet this weekend. Then ramping up for the Winter be Gone Duathlon on April 26 to kick off the du/tri season for real. No more of this indoor stuff!